The Michigan State Spartans take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, NE. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Nebraska is favored by 2 points on the spread with a moneyline of -130. The total is set at 145.5 points.
Here’s my Michigan State vs. Nebraska prediction and college basketball picks for January 2, 2026.
Michigan State vs Nebraska Prediction
My Pick: Nebraska -2 (Play to -3.5)
My Michigan State vs Nebraska best bet is on the Huskers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Michigan State vs. Nebraska Odds
| Michigan State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2 -110 | 145.5 -110 / -110 | +110 |
| Nebraska Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2 -110 | 145.5 -110 / -110 | -130 |
- Michigan State vs Nebraska spread: Nebraska -2
- Michigan State vs Nebraska over/under: 145.5 points
- Michigan State vs Nebraska moneyline: Michigan State +110, Nebraska -130
Michigan State vs Nebraska College Basketball Betting Preview
Michigan State Basketball
Tom Izzo’s squad is off to a 12-1 start, with the only loss coming against an elite Duke team. Izzo has continued to run the program his way, betting on player development and high school recruiting, supplemented by a couple of portal additions.
The on-court product looks extremely familiar. The Spartans own the sixth-best defense in the country, per KenPom, and are utterly dominant on the glass.
Michigan State ranks top-six nationally in both offensive and defensive rebounding rate. The Spartans also love to run in transition, sitting 27th in fast break points per game.
Big man Jaxon Kohler is averaging 13.7 points and 10.3 rebounds and has taken a real step forward as a shooter. He's up to 47% from 3 this season and anchors the interior defense alongside Carson Cooper. That tandem is a big reason Michigan State ranks 10th nationally in block rate.
Offensively, this group has been surprisingly strong from the perimeter. After shooting just 31% from deep last season, the Spartans are up to 36.8% through the first two months.
Jeremy Fears Jr. has provided high level point guard play and is second in the nation at 9.3 assists per game.
A massive 71% of Michigan State’s made baskets are assisted, also the second-highest rate in the country.
Nebraska Basketball
Nebraska completed non-conference play with a perfect 13-0 record. Dating back to last season, the Huskers have won 17 straight after capturing the inaugural College Basketball Crown.
Fred Hoiberg’s group has been one of the biggest surprises in the country, jumping from 51st to 23rd on KenPom over the past two months.
The second week of December is when Nebraska really announced itself. In a six-day span, the Huskers routed Creighton and Wisconsin at home, then went on the road and knocked off Illinois 83-80.
Nebraska plays beautiful basketball offensively, running much of its offense through skilled bigs Rienk Mast and Berke Buyuktuncel.
Mast is averaging 16.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting 38% from 3. Buyuktuncel posted a triple double two games ago and is shooting 50% from deep over his last four.
The Huskers rank fourth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio and 10th in 2-point percentage. Their spacing and passing make them incredibly difficult to guard.
Wildly enough, Hoiberg’s team grades out as an even better unit on the defensive end. Nebraska is 28th in defensive efficiency on KenPom and 25th in effective field goal percentage allowed.
One key stylistic note is that the Huskers force opponents to take a high volume of 3s by shrinking the floor and helping aggressively. Opponents attempt treys on 51.6% of their shots, the fourth-highest rate in the country.
Michigan State vs. Nebraska Betting Analysis
Hoiberg emphasized transition defense and rebounding in his pregame press conference. As always, those are the points of emphasis when facing Michigan State. The question is whether Nebraska can hold its own in those areas.
I expect Michigan State to win the rebounding battle, but I do think Nebraska is equipped to hang tough. In its first two Big Ten games against Wisconsin and Illinois, the Huskers allowed 11 and 13 offensive rebounds, respectively.
15 feels like the threshold they need to stay under here.
It's also worth noting that 6-foot-11 Ugnius Jarusevicius made his season debut last time out and gives Nebraska another big body to rotate off the bench.
Nebraska beat Michigan State at home two seasons ago, but it was smoked 89-52 at the Breslin Center last season. Kohler had 12 rebounds in that game, while Nebraska finished with just 19 as a team.
As long as Nebraska doesn't get crushed on the glass, I think it finds a way to get this one done. In front of a raucous, sold out Pinnacle Bank Arena, I'll side with the home team. Nebraska takes care of the ball and runs an intricate offense that I believe neutralizes Michigan State’s defensive strengths.
Plus, forcing the Spartans to take a high volume of 3s on the road also favors the Huskers.
Even if Michigan State grades out as a good shooting team, it'll be taking more triples than usual. Factoring in the environment and some natural regression, it would be surprising to see it knock down the 10-plus 3s it would likely need to escape Lincoln with a win.
I'll lay the small number with the undefeated home team.
My Pick: Nebraska -2 (Play to -3.5)
